Set It Free
by SpectraVondergeist
Summary: What if Callie never made it to Wyatt when she ran away? Would it set her family on the wrong path to finding her? This is an alternate ending to the Summer Finale of The Fosters. This is my first Fan Fiction (go easy on me?). Warning: story contains violence. I don't own The Fosters or any of the characters. I just like to write about them!
1. Chapter 1

This is an alternate ending to The Fosters Summer finale. I do not own The Fosters or any of the characters.

Chapter 1.

Callie crept out of bed, careful not to wake Mariana. She had worn her clothes to bed, so all she had to do was slip on her shoes and grab her backpack. It was already packed. Her plan was to take off with Wyatt, and start a new life where her past couldn't find her. She couldn't believe she has leaving this beautiful house, which had become her safe haven. No one would ever have reason to call her selfish again. Leaving her new home was selflessness incarnate. But it was going to be so hard to say goodbye.

She silently walked into the hall. First she peeked into Jesus and Jude's room. Both boys were tucked into bed, sound asleep. Jude looked so sweet. Callie longed to go to him, kiss his forehead and sing to him, like she always had. When she was younger, she used to pretend Jude was her little boy, and she, his mother. It killed her to know that he was so angry with her.

_I'm doing the right thing_ , she told herself. She couldn't risk Jude having a safe and loving home. He deserved it, especially after seeing him get beaten so many times in their last foster home. But she couldn't trust herself to stay away from Brandon. The only way to give Jude a shot at a future was for her to leave.

Next, she peeked in at Stef and Lena. Stef stirred a bit in her sleep. _Mommy_, Callie mouthed into the dark. Part of her wished Stef would awake and make her stay. She waved goodbye to her foster moms, then silently shut their door.

Lastly, she looked in at Brandon. He too was sleeping. He looked so gorgeous. Callie thought of their kiss. She shouldn't have done it. she should have just stuck to daydreaming about Brandon, instead of acting on her feelings. But she did love him. And she knew he loved her. What's done was done, anyway. He'd make a great big brother to Jude. She blew Brandon a kiss, then shut his door. It was really time to go. If you love something, set it free. She loved her family, and knew they must be free from her to be happy. However, part of her secretly hoped her family would come looking for her.

She went out the front door, shouldering her bag, but barely made it down the front walk, when someone stepped out from the shadows, and wrapped his arms around her, covering her mouth. Disoriented, Callie at first thought it was Brandon, trying to keep her from leaving. She turned the little bit her captor allowed, and screamed into his hand. It was Liam. He'd come after her.

"So, Cal. Running away?" He laughed. "I've been watching you, waiting for my chance to get you. I saw you today, you know. Kissing your foster brother. I was watching you through the fence. I guess you haven't changed much."

Callie struggled against Liam, but he held her tighter. "I didn't think much of your testimony in court, Callie. What we did, you wanted it. You know you did." Callie tried to shake her head, to say no, but she couldn't.

Liam continued, "So now, my parents kicked me out. Dad's not paying for school anymore either. Way to go, Callie. You ruined my life. Now I'm gonna ruin yours."

Callie fought against Liam, trying one last time to free herself, when Liam took a rag from his pocket and held it over her nose. Quickly, she lost her senses, drifting into darkness. When she came to, she didn't know where she was. She was in a trashed, empty room. In the dim moonlight, she saw an open closet, with drawings marking the wall. They were familiar. She realized she was in Wyatt's old house, in his old room. And Liam was there.

"Try to run, and you die," he whispered in her ear. And, once again, he raped her, then beat her until she couldn't cry out anymore.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Next Morning

Stef woke up troubled. She'd had a bad dream. She looked at her clock. It was 9:30. They'd overslept. She shook Lena awake.

"Good morning," Lena smiled.

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Foster," Stef replied. She yawned. "I'm gonna get the kids up."

She decided to wake the girls first. They were easier to get going in the morning. She knocked on their bedroom door, then let herself in.

"Mariana? Callie? Girls, time to get up. Let's go!" She called cheerfully.

Mariana stretched and yawned. "Morning," she mumbled. Callie hadn't stirred.

"Cal?" Stef called. She went to the girl's bed, and pulled back the covers, revealing Callie's sleeping form to be pillows. "Where is Callie?" Stef asked, turning to Mariana.

Mariana shrugged. "I don't know."

Stef rushed to the dresser and pulled out Callie's drawer. Her few pieces of clothing were gone. More searching showed that all of Callie's meager belongings were gone.

"She's run away," Stef said sadly.

Later, the family was seated around the table. "I can't believe she's gone," Lena sighed. "I thought she was happy here." Tears stung her eyes.

"I-I think it's my fault," Brandon spoke up.

"How so?" Asked Stef.

Brandon continued, "At the wedding, we kissed. I know it was wrong, and I'm so sorry. I think I might have scared her away."

Stef sucked in her breath, but before she spoke, Jude looked up at her. He'd been quiet so far. "No, it's my fault," he said. "She loves you, Brandon. I was mean to her about you guys kissing. I yelled at her and called her selfish. I said she was ruining everything and didn't care about me."

"And what did she say?" Lena asked.

"She said she wasn't going to be selfish anymore. I'm sorry!" Jude began to cry.

Lena reached out and embraced him. "It's okay, baby. It's not your fault. You were angry. You said something you didn't mean. We all do it."

"I want Callie," Jude sobbed. "She needs to know I'm sorry. I love her."

"I know you do. We'll find her," Lena whispered.

"You know," said Brandon, "I'm almost positive she's with Wyatt. He's moving today, and she probably went with him."

"That could be," said Stef. "And I intend to find out." She dialed Wyatt's number on her phone. He answered after several rings.

"Hey!" He said. "Wyatt here."

"Wyatt, this is Stef Foster. Is Callie with you?"

"No," Wyatt answered. "I haven't seen her."

"Are you telling me the truth?" Stef pressed.

"Yes," Wyatt replied. "Why? What's up?"

"Wyatt, Callie ran away from home. If you know where she is, please tell us." Stef began to cry.

The phone crackled a bit. "Mrs. Foster, I don't know where Callie is. I wish I did. If she came to me, I'd have made her go home."

"Really?" Asked Stef.

"Sure," Wyatt replied. "She's got a good thing going with you guys."

"Thanks Wyatt. I believe you. But please tell me if you hear anything from her."

"I will," Wyatt answered. "And same goes for you?"

"Sure," answered Stef. They said goodbye and hung up. Stef turned to her family. "He hasn't seen her," she said.

Minutes later, Stef got a call on her work phone. She seemed troubled by what she was hearing on the other line. She took the phone into the living room to talk in privacy. After what seemed like forever, she returned to the kitchen. "Everyone," she began. "I just got a call from the station. Something has happened."

Everyone turned their attention to her, and she continued, "Liam drove his car off a bridge early this morning. He's dead." The family stared at her in utter shock.

After a pregnant pause, Lena began, "did he-? Was Callie with him?"

Stef wrung her hands. "They don't know. They didn't find a second body, but they can't be sure yet."

"Oh my..." Lena could not even finish her sentence.

Stef sighed again. "I have a terrible feeling this has something to do with Callie. I think it's time to file a report. I just hope we're not too late."

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Callie drifted in and out of consciousness. Her head ached. Really, she hurt all over. She tasted dried blood on her lips. But she was glad to realize she was alive. _My family_, she thought. _Why did I leave them?_ It was the worst mistake she ever made. How had it gone so horribly wrong? If only she could take it back.

She listened to the silent house for any sign of Liam. There was none. She tried to move a little, but she was in such pain that it was difficult. She recalled Liam's slimy voice telling her she'd brought this on herself the minute she opened her mouth. Lyrics from a Taylor Swift song came into her head; "I knew you were trouble when you walked in, and now I'm lying on the cold hard ground." How true those words had become for her.

_I've got to live_, she thought. She spotted her stuff in a pile a few feet away. If only she could get to her phone! She still had a chance. Slowly, she practiced moving a few inches, then waiting, listening for any sound that might mean Liam was coming back. After several minutes of moving, then waiting, she finally made it to her belongings, and dug through them, until she found her phone. She pulled up Brandon's number, and managed to type "Help me- Wyatt's." Just as she pressed send, her head began to spin, and she fell back into sleep.

Meanwhile, at the Foster house, Stef was filing a report with Mike. Several of their colleagues were already out, searching for Callie. Lena had been calling everyone they knew, on the small hope that she had just run away to a friend's house. Brandon was sitting at the piano, staring into space and feeling quite numb inside, when his phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, and looked at the number. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the familiar digits.

"It's from Callie!" He yelled. "Mom! Everyone!"

Stef and Mike ran into the living room, with the rest of the family close behind. "What does it say?" Stef asked.

"It just says 'Help me- Wyatt's," Brandon told them.

"Try texting her back," said Lena, and Brandon typed the words "Where R U?" They waited, but there was no responding message.

"I thought she wasn't _with_ Wyatt," said Brandon.

"Well," said Stef, "he swore up and down she wasn't. And I believed him. But at least we know she is alive."

Suddenly, Mariana spoke up. "Oh my gosh! I know where Callie is!" She said. "The text said _Wyatt's_, not Wyatt. She's at Wyatt's old house, where that party was. Liam was there that night, so he'd know it was empty."

Stef hugged Mariana. "You genius girl," she said with affection. She turned to Mike. "Let's go."

Stef and Mike arrived at the house, with back-up. Mike kicked the front door in. "Police!" he yelled. "Anyone here?" There was no answer. They began to search the house, and found no sign of Callie on the first floor. Quietly, and cautiously, they made their way upstairs. At first they found nothing, then Stef burst into a room near the end of the hall.

"Oh, my word." She gasped. She ran to her daughter.

Later:

Callie woke up confused and groggy. She blinked her eyes. She must be seeing things, because it looked like Stef and Lena were there, standing over her. She tried to reach out her hand to them, and was stunned to actually feel them touch her back. They were really there!

"Callie?" Lena asked.

"Where am I?" Callie groaned.

"You're in the hospital, baby," Stef told her gently.

The hospital? How did she get there? She couldn't remember. Mustering all the energy she could, she willed her head to clear so she could think straight. "Liam-" She said. "He-."

"We know what he did to you, honey," Stef told her. "But he'll never hurt you again. He's dead."

"Dead?" Callie asked, puzzled and a bit frightened.

"Yes," Stef answered. "After he hurt you, he took his own life. The bastard is burning in Hell. But you're alive, and we're so glad."

Callie was speechless. She felt as if a weight she'd been carrying for a long time was lifted from her. She began to sob. They were tears of sorrow and joy.

"I'm so sorry for what I did. I just wanted to protect Jude."

"We know," Lena told her, caressing her forehead. "He told us what happened. We have a lot to talk about when you're well, but you need to know that you don't have to worry so much about protecting Jude anymore. You have the both of us to do that for you."

"I love you guys. I love all of you," Callie told them.

"We know, and we love you too, baby," Stef replied. "And the whole family is here to see you. We're all so relieved and happy that you're going to be okay."

I'm going to be okay, thought Callie, as Stef and Lena bent down to kiss her.

"You rest now, sweetheart," Lena said, fluffing her pillows.

Callie closed her eyes, and began to doze off, when the words she was thinking as she was leaving home came to her. _If you Love something, set it free_. But that wasn't the whole saying. The end of it said; _If it comes back to you, it's your forever_. She was theirs forever.

**The End.**

Thank you for reading my story! I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoyed it too. There will be more stories and poems about The Fosters coming soon.


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